CBD For Arthritis

A few months ago, the Alternative Pain Treatment Directory did a deep dive into the science behind CBD and how it can help with chronic pain and anxiety. The article includes an interview with Robban Sica, MD, an integrative medicine physician and expert in CBD. If you missed it, you can read it HERE.

Today, we are going to narrow our focus by looking at the use of CBD for arthritis. According to the CDC, 24% of adults--58.5 million Americans--have arthritis, the leading cause of work disability. The annual costs associated with arthritis-related medical care and lost earnings are $303.5 billion.

How widely used is CBD by arthritis patients?

According to a poll conducted by the Arthritis Foundation, 29% of arthritis sufferers reported using CBD to manage their arthritis symptoms. Among that group, 3 out of 4 found CBD to be either effective or very effective in relieving their symptoms. An impressive 67% reported an improvement in their physical function, and 71% reported improvements in their ability to sleep. Due to the growing interest in CBD, the Arthritis Foundation has issued guidelines for its use.

Is there any clinical data related to the use of CBD for arthritis?

There have not been any scientific studies published on CBD treatment of arthritis in humans, however several animal studies have provided encouraging results. According to one of these studies, The nonpsychoactive cannabis constituent cannabidiol is an oral anti-arthritic therapeutic in murine collagen-induced arthritis which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences:

There is “increasing evidence that cannabinoids are also important modulators of the immune system and thus could have a role in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.”
“It was found that CBD exerted a dose-dependent suppressive action, both on the clinical arthritis and joint damage.”
Findings suggest “that the therapeutic actions of CBD include the suppression of TNF-α, a proinflammatory cytokine known to be a major mediator of arthritis.”

In 2018, A Cross-Sectional Study of Cannabidiol Users found that. “Respondents most frequently reported feeling that CBD treated their medical condition(s) ‘very well by itself’ or ‘moderately well by itself’ for the following three conditions: chronic pain, arthritis/joint pain, and anxiety.”

What do doctors have to say about using CBD for arthritis?

In an interview with Forbes Health, Thomas Lazoff, M.D., a double-board certified physician at Physical Medicine Consultants in Fort Wayne, Indiana said, “I am more apt to recommend CBD prior to anyone being placed on any opioids. CBD can be recommended to relieve arthritis symptoms when we are treating joint pain. It is typically less problematic, better tolerated and essentially [there is] really no end-organ damage like some of the other traditional medications that have been used.”

When interviewed for an article on the medical benefits associated with CBD, Carrie Diulus, MD, medical director of the Crystal Clinic Spine Wellness Center, in Akron, Ohio, said “I do have patients who anecdotally find that it is helpful when used topically for arthritis and orally (spray) for pain. I think often it is beneficial because it helps with sleep and anxiety, which both can be an issue with both acute and chronic pain. I have other patients who have no response.”

What is the best form of CBD for arthritis?

Dr. Dan Clauw a professor of anesthesiology, rheumatology and psychiatry at the University of Michigan and director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, leads research on arthritis pain and fibromyalgia, and the effects of cannabis, particularly CBD, in pain. In an interview with NPR, Clauw recommended tinctures or gummies over topicals or lotions. He said, “CBD, unless it's prepared with something else in it that helps it penetrate through the skin, does not penetrate through the skin very well at all. So people are probably wasting a fair amount of money with topicals that don't have anything else in it besides CBD because again, pure CBD or THC or any form of the cannabinoid they're very lipid-soluble, fat-soluble, and thus just putting a cannabinoid on the skin, very little of it is going to be absorbed.”

Stuart Titus, CEO of Mecial Marijuana, Inc., agrees with Clauw. In an interview with CNET, he said, “Topical CBD likely won't reach cannabinoid receptors in your joints no matter how potent. Oral CBD is more likely to help people with pain from arthritis and other joint conditions. People with pain from fibromyalgia will also benefit more from ingestible CBD.”

Many CBD companies have solved the problem of topical absorption of CBD by adding other natural ingredients such as MSM, emu oil and/or essential oils to their topical products. These additional ingredients also have medicinal benefits of their own.

During his interview with NPR, Clauw strongly advised against vaping. “It's not a good idea to vape or in any way take CBD via any kind of sort of inhaled or respiratory route. We see some of the problems that are occurring now with vaping that almost certainly is from contaminants in the vape products, but be that as it may, it's just an inherently more dangerous route of administration,” he said.”

Vaping does deliver the CBD directly to the brain and so is the quickest route of administration for systemic pain relief. Buying from a reputable company should eliminate any problems with contaminants.

Does CBD have side effects?

CBD is usually well-tolerated but can cause dry mouth, diarrhea, reduced appetite, drowsiness, and fatigue.

According to a 2017 study published in Epilepsy & Behavior Case Reports, CBD increased the effects of blood-thinning drugs by slowing down how the body metabolizes the substance. Patients taking blood thinners should check with their doctor before using CBD.

Robbin Sica, MD, uses CBD extensively in her integrative medicine practice, and when asked about side effects, she said, “I’ve had very few people have any sort of reaction, especially considering I’m used to dealing with super sensitive patients. I’ve seen virtually no reactions.”

When it comes to CBD, buyer beware!

In 2017, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania tested 84 CBD liquid extracts that were purchased online. Only about 30% contained the amount of CBD listed on the label. Approximately 40% contained more CBD than listed on the label, and 25% contained less CBD than listed on the label. THC was detected in more than 20% of the products.

When Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers tested more than 100 topical CBD products available online and at retail stores, they found significant evidence of inaccurate and misleading labeling of CBD content. Some of these over-the-counter products also contained THC, including several products that claimed to be free of THC.

Please check out our recommended, high quality CBD companies HERE.

The bottom line on CBD for arthritis

CBD is safer than pharmaceuticals that are prescribed for arthritis and many patients are finding it to be an effective treatment for joint pain. Buy CBD from a reputable company to be sure that you are getting the correct dosage free of any contaminants.

Christine Graf is a freelance writer who lives in Ballston Lake, New York. She is a regular contributor to several publications and has written extensively about health, mental health, and entrepreneurship.

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